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Blood, sweat, and pixels : the triumphant, turbulent stories behind how video games are made

"You've got your dream job--making video games. You have a great project, great designs, and clever controls. One morning, you get a call from your producer. Turns out that wall-jumping trick won't work because the artists don't have time to design a separate animation just for the plumber to move that way. Also, your lead designer keeps micromanaging the programmers, which is driving them crazy. Your E3 demo is due in two weeks, and you know there's no way you can get it done in less than four. You'll have to cut out some of the game's biggest features just to hit your deadlines. And suddenly the investor is asking if maybe you can slash that $10 million budget down to $8 million, even if you have to fire a few people to make it happen? Welcome to video game development. In his years covering the industry, Jason Schreier has often heard developers say that any game actually released is a miracle. In Blood, Sweat, and Pixels, Schreier takes you behind the scenes of some of the biggest recent games to share never-before-told stories of the struggles and failures the development teams faced along the way. His reputation for great storytelling and fly-on-the-wall detail will provide readers with the clearest picture yet of what actually goes on behind the scenes. Each chapter will cover a different game, from major studios with nine-figure budgets to indie games with half a dozen people on their teams. The chapters will also focus on a variety of subjects in the process, from building the basics to adjusting for fan reaction post-launch. Blood, Sweat, and Pixels will give readers an unparallelled inside look at one of the biggest entertainment industries in the world"--Read more...

Details

Abstract:

"You've got your dream job--making video games. You have a great project, great designs, and clever controls. One morning, you get a call from your producer. Turns out that wall-jumping trick won't work because the artists don't have time to design a separate animation just for the plumber to move that way. Also, your lead designer keeps micromanaging the programmers, which is driving them crazy. Your E3 demo is due in two weeks, and you know there's no way you can get it done in less than four. You'll have to cut out some of the game's biggest features just to hit your deadlines. And suddenly the investor is asking if maybe you can slash that $10 million budget down to $8 million, even if you have to fire a few people to make it happen? Welcome to video game development. In his years covering the industry, Jason Schreier has often heard developers say that any game actually released is a miracle. In Blood, Sweat, and Pixels, Schreier takes you behind the scenes of some of the biggest recent games to share never-before-told stories of the struggles and failures the development teams faced along the way. His reputation for great storytelling and fly-on-the-wall detail will provide readers with the clearest picture yet of what actually goes on behind the scenes. Each chapter will cover a different game, from major studios with nine-figure budgets to indie games with half a dozen people on their teams. The chapters will also focus on a variety of subjects in the process, from building the basics to adjusting for fan reaction post-launch. Blood, Sweat, and Pixels will give readers an unparallelled inside look at one of the biggest entertainment industries in the world"--

Reviews

Editorial reviews

Publisher Synopsis

"Necessary to read... by the end, my only complaint about Blood, Sweat, and Pixels is that there wasn't more to read." -- Forbes.com "Making video games is one of most transformative, exciting things I've done in my two decades as a freelance writer. Making video games is also an excruciating journey into Hellmouth itself. Jason Schreier's wonderful book captures both the excitement and the hell. Here, at long last, is a gripping, intelligent glimpse behind a thick (and needlessly secretive) creative curtain." -- <strong>Tom Bissell</strong>, author of<em> Extra Lives </em>and <em>Apostle</em>, and writer on the <em>Gears of War</em>, <em>Uncharted</em>, and <em>Battlefield</em> franchises "A meticulously researched, well-written, and painful at times account of many developers' and studios' highs and lows. May need to make it required reading for the developers at my studio." -- <strong>Cliff Bleszinski</strong>, creator of Gears of War</em> and founder of Boss Key Productions "The stories in this book make for a fascinating and remarkably complete pantheon of just about every common despair and every joy related to game development." -- <strong>Rami Ismail</strong>, cofounder of Vlambeer and developer of Nuclear Throne</em> "Jason Schreier brilliantly exposes the truth about how video games are made. Brutal, honest, yet ultimately uplifting; I've been gaming for thirty years, yet I was surprised by every page. Turns out what I didn't know about my favorite hobby could fill a book. This book! Can't recommend it enough to any serious fan of this generation's greatest new art form." -- <strong>Adam Conover</strong>, executive producer and host of truTV's Adam Ruins Everything</em> "...his enthusiasm is contagious; even if you've never played one of these games, you'll be riveted by the account of how they came to be." -- Booklist "Schreier covers the notoriously secretive gaming industry... and he knows it well... He also clearly respects [the] developers and their achievements, and treats their rueful tales of selfless struggle with an admiring deference...a useful survey of the landscape of game production at this cultural moment." -- GQ "Schreier sets each scene with admirable prowess, giving the reader just enough information to feel the weight of each story. For anyone who has ever wondered how some of the most successful games are made, this book is a real eye-opener... At its heart, Blood, Sweat, and Pixels is an ode to the people who put every fiber of their being into making memorable experiences for gamers all over the world." -- Fiction Southeast "Lively writing... For fans of video games, Blood, Sweat, and Pixels is a must read, but anyone interested in stories about the hard process of making art is also sure to enjoy it." -- Shelf Awareness "One of the most insightful pieces of text I've ever read... It's a well-written tale of real sacrifice, struggles, and more, it's almost inspiring despite how sad it can be at times." -- GameZone "Blood, Sweat, and Pixels is the instruction manual to the game industry I never realized I needed." -- GameCritics.com "Schreier creates a compellingly warts-and-all portrait of a profession that so many who grew up playing games idolized." -- WiredRead more...